Is it normal for a professional shingle repair to look this uneven?

That $1800 charge is an absolute robbery for what sounds like a hack job. No actual carpenter would leave shingles touching the roofing material becasue cedar acts like a sponge, wicking up moisture and rotting out the bottom edge within a couple of seasons. You need a minimum **two-inch clearance** between the siding and the roof deck. If they didn't even snap a chalk line to keep the courses straight, the underlying flashing is probaly questionable too. Don't bother trying to trim the bottom edge yourself. Trimming shingles in place is a nightmare that usually leads to splintering and damaged flashing underneath. Since the reveals are mismatched and the spacing around the vent is blown, you're looking at a total tear-out. Those white streaks are likely oxidation or primer transfer from the roofers' gear, wich just adds insult to injury. The fact that they didn't stagger the joints properly means you probably have vertical seams lining up, which is a direct path for water to get behind your house wrap.

I'd be calling the roofing company owner imediately to demand a full refund for the carpentry portion of the bill. You shouldn't have been charged for them to fix damage they caused during the torchdown in the first place. Tell them you want the 'repair' cost removed from the invoice so you can hire a real siding contractor to do it right. If they allready have your money, you've got less leverage, but the threat of a bad review with specific mentions of code-violating clearances usually gets a response.

And honestly, if you have a hammer, a flat bar, and a basic circular saw, you can probably do a better job yourself in an afternoon. Cedar shingles are forgiving if you take the time to **snap your lines** and keep your gaps consistent. Just make sure you use stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized nails, or you'll be dealing with black streaks from the cedar tannins reacting with cheap metal in six months.

Man, that's brutal. $1800's a joke for that kinda work. I've seen 'pros' pull this move before—they just send a laborer with a hammer and hope you won't notice the mess. Did you check if they actualy tucked the counter-flashing back in? If they just nailed those shingles right thru your new roof membrane to 'secure' 'em, you're lookin' at leaks next time it pours.

I'd be worried they messed up the house wrap too if they were hackin' away at it. Don't let 'em back to 'fix' it; they'll just butcher it more. Get that money back and hire a guy who actually knows what a shingle gauge is.

I don't know much about roofing, but this sounds like a nightmare. You mentioned the shingles acting like a sponge—is that why they need that two-inch gap? I'm curious, if the person who did the work didn't use a chalk line, how do you even make sure the shingles are straight while you're nailing them? I'd love to learn how to do this myself to save money, but I'm worried about hitting the flashing the other person mentioned. Is there a specific tool you use to check the flashing without ripping everthing apart?

If you're going to tear that mess out and do it yourself, grab a Swanson Savage Magnetic Chalk Line. You can't trust your eyes on a roof pitch, and that's clearly what that 'carpenter' tried to do. Snapping a crisp line with high-visibility Tajima Micro-Chalk is the only way to keep those cedar rows from looking like a roller coaster. Also, since you mentioned the paint streaks, hit those spots with some Simple Green and a soft brush before you nail the new stuff up. It’ll save you a headache later.